System and Method for Remote Acquisition and Delivery of Goods

ABSTRACT

A system and method for remote acquisition and delivery of goods includes a server in communication with customer computers, such as through a user interface via the internet. The server can store customer information including billing information, and may include an image processor. A mobile delivery system in communication with the server includes an energy efficient vehicle, an image capture device, a global positioning system, a communication device and a printer. In use, a customer communicates with a mobile delivery agent via the image capture device and the communication device to remotely acquire a product. Once acquired, the delivery agent delivers the product to a designated delivery location. The image capture device can be utilized during the entire transaction. The system preferably includes a processor for optimizing system efficiencies, including selecting a delivery agent based on the product, pick-up location and delivery site.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application is a continuation of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 16/853,133 entitled “System and Method for Remote Acquisitionand Delivery of Goods” filed Apr. 20, 2020, pending, which is acontinuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/270,848 entitled“System and Method for Remote Acquisition and Delivery of Goods” filedOct. 11, 2011, now U.S. Pat. No. 10,628,835, which is acontinuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/711,867entitled “System and Method for Remote Acquisition and Delivery ofGoods” filed Feb. 24, 2010, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,244,594, and which isalso a continuation-in-part and claims the benefit of InternationalPatent Application No. PCT/US2010/046746 entitled “System and Method forRemote Acquisition and Delivery of Goods” filed Aug. 26, 2010, whichalso claims the benefit of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/711,867,with U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/711,867 claiming the benefit ofU.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/237,128 entitled “Systemand Method for Remote Shopping and Delivery” filed Aug. 26, 2009, all ofwhich are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention

The present invention pertains to customer shopping and, moreparticularly, to a system and method for remote acquisition and deliveryof goods.

Discussion of the Prior Art

Electronic commerce via the internet is rapidly becoming a standardmethod by which customers purchase goods remotely for delivery to alocation of the customer's choice. However, there are many potentialproblems associated with ordering goods over the internet. For example,most internet retailers rely on third-party services, such as UPS andFederal Express, to deliver the products purchased on their web sites.From an environmental standpoint, delivering select goods purchased overthe internet to individual customers using conventional methods createsa large carbon footprint, and is often not cost effective. For example,when various goods are transported from one or more warehouses acrossthe country to individual customers, rather than to a single store fromwhere the items can be purchased, certain inefficiencies are realized.

Perhaps more important, many customers are opposed to internet shopping.For instance, customers who are particular about style, quality oractual function, may wish to further view or otherwise examine an itembefore purchasing. Often, a picture may not be available for the item orthe picture will be inadequate to accurately depict the item. For thisreason, the customer may simply refuse to purchase over the internet orperhaps may purchase an item and then return the same after the item islater examined. Obviously, this purchasing scenario is also inefficient.

Additionally, although there does exist services which are designed torun errands for individuals and companies, there currently exists nogood solution for an individual to receive real-time feedback on thegoods to be purchased. More specifically, there does existinternet-based companies who will arrange for errands to be run for afee. However, if the person running the errand purchases the wrongproduct, the person placing the order will not know until the item isdelivered. This creates the potential for a confrontation or, at thevery least, a dissatisfied purchaser who has now also lost significanttime in acquiring the desired product. Now this scenario may not be tooimportant for certain items, say milk for instance, but can beparticular significant for other items, such as a dress, designer shoesor a painting, for example.

Based on at least these reasons, there is seen to be a need in the artfor a remote acquisition and delivery system which provides a customerwith detailed information needed to make an informed purchase oracquisition, and which provides rapid delivery of the goods withoutcreating a large carbon footprint.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to a system and method for remoteacquisition and delivery of goods. The system includes a server incommunication with customer computers or devices via a website on theinternet or through a network. The server stores customer informationincluding billing information, and includes a digital image captureprocessor, such as an optical image or real-time video captureprocessor. In accordance with a preferred embodiment, a mobile deliveryagent system in communication with the server includes an energyefficient vehicle, a digital image capture device such as a digitalcamera in a cell phone, a global positioning system (GPS), acommunication device and a printer.

In use, a customer contacts a service provider through the remoteacquisition and delivery system and registers to use the system. Onceregistered, the user provides the service provider with informationregarding the type of product desired and, perhaps, the shopping oracquisition location from which the user desires to purchase orotherwise obtain the product. A mobile delivery agent assigned to theuser, familiar with the type of product and/or in close proximity to theshopping location will receive the request for purchase or acquisitionfrom the system, and the delivery agent will proceed to the shoppinglocation. The GPS preferably tracks the delivery agent, and providesnavigational information to the delivery agent. The digital imagecapture device is utilized to deliver real-time digital images of thedelivery agent on the way to the location, as well as images capturedduring execution of a purchase process. The customer is allowed tointeract with the delivery agent to inspect the product remotely usingthe digital image capture device and the communication device. Forinstance, digital pictures or video can be taken and used to communicatethe product to the customer. On the other hand, bar codes, QR (QuickResponse) codes, image recognition or near field communication can beused in identifying and communicating information about the product ofconcern. Once a purchase or acquisition is approved, the delivery agentacquires the product on behalf of the customer and delivers the productto a designated delivery location. The printer is utilized to produce aninvoice and any other transaction documents for delivery to thecustomer, or documents are mailed to the customer by standard mail orelectronic mail. The system preferably includes one or more processorsfor optimizing efficiencies of the system and calculating the mostefficient use of delivery agents based on the shopping location and thedelivery site.

Additional objects, features and advantages of the present inventionwill become more readily apparent from the following detaileddescription of preferred embodiments when taken in conjunction with thedrawings wherein like reference numerals refer to corresponding parts inthe several views.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a preferred embodiment of the remoteacquisition and delivery system of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a flow chart depicting steps involved in a preferred method ofthe present invention; and

FIG. 3 is a flow chart depicting additional steps involved in apreferred method of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

With reference to FIG. 1, a remote acquisition and delivery systemconstructed in accordance with the present invention is indicated at 10.A services provider is equipped with at least one server 14 incommunication with a wide area network (WAN), such as the internet 18. Auser accesses a user interface 22, such as a website or cable televisionnetwork screen through WAN or internet 18 via a customer computer 30. Itshould be understood that customer computer 30 can be any type of devicefor communication with user interface 22, such as a personal computerincluding a browser 26, a television, a cell phone or other mobiledevice. For example, the user interface 22 may be installed as anapplication on the user's mobile device, such as the user's iPhone™Blackberry or other PDA. Preferably, system 10 makes use of emerging“blended services” technologies including integrated voice, image anddata features which are always “on”, giving users the ability to movefrom one function to another during a communication session. Thisblended services technology may be in the form of a digital televisionwhich allows for software to be utilized for viewing entertainment andinternet applications.

A plurality of databases are stored within server 14. For example,customer data is stored in a customer database 34 on server 14, andbilling information is stored in billing database 35. A digital imagecapture processor 38 is also preferably associated with server 14.Server 14 is in contact with a plurality of mobile delivery agentsystems, such as indicated at 42. Each mobile system 42 preferablyincludes a digital image capture device 46, such as a cell phone orother similar device incorporating a digital camera for taking still orvideo images, reading product bar or QR code data, or combinationsthereof including a picture in combination with image recognitionsoftware as will be detailed more fully below, a global positioningsystem (GPS) 47, a communications system or device 48 and a printer 49.GPS 47 is preferably utilized to track a mobile delivery agent, as wellas provide navigational information to the delivery agent as will bediscussed in more detail below. Communications system 48 preferablyincludes an on-board computer and transceiver system for wirelesslyaccessing a wide area network or virtual private network (VPN) andsystem servers. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, mobilesystem 42 also includes an energy efficient vehicle, such as an electricor hybrid car or other vehicle 50 as the means for transporting thesystem. Although each of the devices 46-49 can be separate, in apreferred embodiment one or more of devices 46-49 are incorporated intovehicle 50, or are in the form of one or more portable devices. In oneembodiment, delivery agents will carry a battery pack(s) to supply powerto devices 46-49. Such a battery pack(s) are preferably incorporatedinto belts or into the uniform of a delivery agent.

Each vehicle 50 preferably includes an outdoor advertising kit 51enabling the services provider to selectively advertise for themselves,or others. Additionally, vehicles 50 can be outfitted with other toolsor accessories, such as a dolly 52 for delivering large purchases to acustomer. In one embodiment, a plurality of different sized vehicles 50are provided, allowing for more flexibility in delivering oversized orlarge numbers of products/goods. For example, the customer will have theoption of utilizing a delivery agent having a mini-vehicle, a mid-sizedvan, a large van or an extra large moving van. Additionally, eachvehicle 50 in communication with server 14 is preferably equipped with akill switch which may be remotely activated by the services provider ofsystem 10. Optionally, vehicle 50 is provided with at least onehide-away seat which is utilized to transport a customer(s) and/or thecustomer's pet, such as when a customer wishes to accompany a deliveryagent to view a product in person or when a customer needs to take hisor her pet to the vet or boarding house. Further, a secure pick-upservice for customers with accompanying membership cards may be providedfor a fee, similar to an AAA membership for road side assistance.

A method for utilizing system 10 will now be discussed with reference toFIG. 2. Initially, if a customer wishes to contact the services providerfor system 10, the customer registers with the services provider byfirst contacting the service provide through user interface 22 and WAN18, as indicated at 100. If the customer is a new user, the customerthen registers with the services provider at 101 and the customerinformation is stored in customer database 34. Optionally, the customerregisters by other means, such as mailing in an application.Registration preferably includes gathering billing information from thecustomer, such as a credit card number or other desired billing method,as well as indicating one or more delivery addresses. In one embodiment,information on the location of a customer is transmitted from acustomer's smart phone or GPS enabled phone or device to system 10. Inthis way, the delivery address of a customer can be obtained without theneed for the customer or the service provider to physically type in thedelivery location information. Preferably, a credit check of thecustomer is conducted at 102 prior to the customer being approved as aregistered customer, and the customer is pre-approved for a particularcredit amount at step 103. When a customer requests services, apre-authorization check is conducted, such as by charging an amount to acustomer's designated charge account, in order to verify that funds areavailable. In a preferred embodiment, customer database 34 additionalstores customer history of use data, which may be utilized inconjunction with a loyalty program similar to a frequent-flyer typeprogram. The customer database 34 may also store a customer's recurringorder as set up and managed by the customer. The customer database 34may also track a customer's previous purchase information which may behelpful in allowing the system to suggest a repeated order or arecurring order to the customer. The customer database 34 may keep suchprofile information or historical information which may be utilized tosuggest purchases to a customer.

Preferably, a membership card or other information is sent to thecustomer upon registration. The customer then logs into system 10 viawebsite 22 at step 104 utilizing a user name and password generatedduring registration. The customer is next provided with informationregarding the location of a plurality of delivery agents. Morespecifically, the customer may enter in the area he or she is interestedin obtaining services through utilizing a user interface, such as byentering his or her local zip code or the address of a store where adesired product is being sold at step 105, using an input device (e.g.,keyboard) of user interface 22. Next, information regarding the locationand status of delivery agents in the desired area is displayed on adisplay screen of user interface 22 at step 106, and the user has theoption of selecting the delivery agent of his or her choice. Forexample, a map of the local area where the customer is located appearsshowing the location of one or more delivery agents in close proximityto the shopping and/or delivery location. A user may be able to zoom inand zoom out on this map. Indicia for the delivery agents are preferablycolor coded to indicate the status of the delivery agent as indicated atstep 107. For example, a green dot on the map indicates a delivery agentwho is available, a red dot indicates a delivery agent who is currentlyfilling an order, and a yellow dot indicates a delivery agent who is onstandby, such as a large delivery van driver who may work from a homebase, or a vehicle that is recharging or refueling. In one embodiment,the customer has access to information regarding the type of vehicleeach delivery agent is driving, and may base his or her selection on thetype of vehicle desired for the pickup/delivery, or may select aparticular delivery agent based on the customer's preference for theparticular delivery agent. In one embodiment, delivery agent profilesare available for customers to review. Such profiles may include, forexample, a picture of the delivery agent with a short biography, a listof any particular areas of expertise, other customers' remarks, ratingsor feedback regarding the delivery agent, or the like.

Preferably, the user specifies the exact location from which theselected delivery agent is to purchase or otherwise acquire the product,such as a retail store location. Alternatively, system 10 calculates theclosest location from which to make the purchase based on the selecteddelivery agent's current location and the location of the customer. Suchcalculation may be done manually, utilizing GPS 47, utilizing processor54 or through some other means. Preferably, store locations are selectedin a manner which optimizes efficiencies and reduces vehicle operatingcosts by selecting store locations that reduce travel time for theselected delivery agent both to the store and during delivery to thecustomer.

In one embodiment, if no delivery agent is in the immediate areaselected, the map will zoom out to encompass a larger area until one ormore delivery agents appear on the map. As set forth above, in a firstembodiment, a customer selects the delivery agent based on a variety offactors such as location, availability, or preference for a particularagent, as indicated at step 108. Alternatively, a processor 54 includinga decision algorithm is utilized to select a delivery agent for thecustomer, as indicated at step 109. For example, a selection of adelivery agent may be made to enable a delivery agent to obtain goodsfor more than one customer in a single trip or to minimize the totalnumber of miles traveled by the plurality of delivery agents.Alternatively, a delivery agent manager may select the most appropriatedelivery agent for the user, given the desired area and status ofdelivery agents in the desired area.

As shown in FIG. 3, once the desired delivery agent is selected at steps108 or 109, a customer shopping or acquisition request and profile issent to the delivery agent at step 110, and a communications link isestablished between the customer and the selected delivery agent at step111, such as through a telephone or internet connection. Preferably, thecustomer account information is sent to a communications device 48 inthe form of a portable internet device or an onboard display unitlocated in the agent's vehicle 50. The portable internet device oronboard display unit may be voice, data and video enabled and utilizeinternet protocol. The request for a particular product is sent to theselected delivery agent, along with the desired shopping location. Thecustomer profile preferably includes the credit limit available forpurchases. The customer's profile may also include information relatedto a customer's order history.

In one embodiment, the customer first finds information on a product andlocation of a store or conducts cost-comparisons of products utilizingan internet search engine or cost comparison website. A website toolallows the user to select the delivery services of system 10, whereinsystem 10 gathers information from the results of the internet searchengine or website in order to generate a request for services orshopping request. In a preferred embodiment, widgets are provided forother websites, such as classified ads or internet retailers, for easein data transmission to server 14 and individual delivery agents. Forexample, a customer will simply click on a widget indicating the serviceprovider of system 10 on a website in order to view the closest vehicle50 to the shopping location depicted on the user interface 22 beingviewed by the customer. The pick-up destination and map areautomatically captured and transmitted to a selected delivery agent'svehicle, along with an approximate cost estimate for the customer. Inaddition, system 10 preferably allows a user to rate retailers and/orsellers and post comments. In one embodiment, user interface 22 providesthe customer with targeted advertising related to the particulargeographic region of the customer delivery and/or pick-up location.Additionally, retail sales alerts and value alerts for locations ofinterest are preferably displayed on user interface 22. In oneembodiment, system 10 enables customers to post classified ads for usedgoods, wherein delivery services associated with system 10 can beutilized by customers to shop for the used goods remotely and have theused goods delivered to a desired delivery site as will be explained inmore detail below.

A purchase order or acquisition request is scheduled for a particulardate and/or time, or is requested as needed by the customer. In apreferred embodiment, once an order is scheduled, a price estimate ofservices is sent to the customer for approval before proceeding with thetransaction as indicated at step 112. Such an estimate is generated, forexample, based on the estimated driving time for the delivery agent anda service charge for purchase and delivery of a desired product.Optionally, a user may choose to share a trip, in which case multiplecustomers will utilize the same delivery agent to purchase products atthe same location. In this embodiment, the status of the delivery agentsposted on user interface 22 includes the shopping location the deliveryagent is traveling to, as well as the time the delivery agent will be atthe shopping location. With this information, customers within the samegeographic region may choose to utilize the same delivery agent.Although the method of the present invention discussed in more detailbelow only references a single customer, it should be understood thatany additional customer that selects the same agent will also send anacquisition request to system 10, wherein the agent will electronicallytransfer an image, either in still or video form, of the requested goodsusing digital image capture device 46, in the same manner as describedwith respect to the first customer. The agent may then acquire thesecond set of goods for the second customer and make a second deliverytrip to a delivery location specified by the second customer. In somesituations, an agent may be able to obtain goods for multiple customersfrom one shopping location in a single trip. In this situation, greaterefficiencies are realized and discounts may be offered to customers whoparticipate in the shared pick-up event. In one embodiment, a customermay be able to pay a premium for a faster delivery. In such a scenario,a selection of a delivery agent may be made to accommodate the customerwho has paid the premium instead of to maximize the overall efficiencyof the delivery agents for multiple customers.

Once a store location is selected, the selected delivery agent travelsto the store location as indicated at step 113, and finds the desiredproduct to be acquired. Ideally, digital image capture device 46 isutilized to provide a streaming “street view” for the customer'sentertainment and to show the progress of the delivery agent asindicated at 114. Additionally, GPS 47 is utilized with digital mappingtechnology to dynamically update the customer as to the location of thedelivery agent. In one embodiment, once the delivery agent arrives atthe selected location as indicated at 115, the delivery agent activatesa wearable real-time digital image capture device 46, which provides thecustomer with a real-time view of the selected location as seen by thedelivery agent. In one embodiment, system 10 sends short message service(sms) alerts to the customer or initiate voice communication with thecustomer when a delivery agent is leaving vehicle 50 to enter a locationso that the customer can multi-task without worrying about the status ofthe delivery agent, as indicated at 116. The delivery agent then entersthe shopping location and identifies the product of interest. Thedelivery agent then communicates to the customer that the product hasbeen identified, and the customer has the option of inspecting theproduct in real-time at 117. If the customer chooses to inspect theproduct, the customer will communicate instructions to the deliveryagent at 118, and the delivery agent will utilize digital image capturedevice 46 to transmit real-time data to customer computer 30. This datacan be collected and relayed in various forms. For instance, a digitalpicture could be captured and sent to the customer. Along the samelines, digital video can be employed, perhaps in combination with voicetransmissions corresponding to Skype™ communications. In accordance withthese preferred embodiments, instructions can be in the form of severalpre-approved commands. For example, the customer may request that thedelivery agent zoom-in on a particular feature, zoom out, pan right orpan left. Such pre-approved commands will minimize miscommunicationsbetween the customer and the delivery agent. On the other hand, theproduct data can be collected by scanning a bar code associated with theproduct, or perhaps a QR code. In addition, optical imaging incombination with image recognition software can be used for productidentification.

Next, the customer either approves or rejects acquisition of theinspected product. If the product is rejected, the customer has thechoice of inspecting another product or terminating the service. Oncethe service is terminated, fees for the services provided are calculatedas will be discussed in more detail below. If the customer requestsfurther shopping, the delivery agent will move to other similar productsor may travel to another location in search of a satisfactory product.Of course, the customer may choose to terminate the acquisition servicesat any time, as indicated at 119. If the product is approved at 120, thedelivery agent will purchase or otherwise acquire the product on behalfof the customer at 121 and deliver the product based on the deliveryoptions specified in the customer's profile, or amended deliveryinstructions provided by the customer at the beginning of a particularshopping request or at some time during a particular shopping request.In one embodiment, the customer may select a curbside drop-off of goods,or may request “white glove” delivery, in which case the delivery agentwill deliver the product directly to the customer's door or desiredphysical location. Further, the location of the customer, and thus thedelivery location, may be obtained directly from the customer's GPSenabled device or smart phone as previously discussed. Additionally, thecustomer request may include a request for product pickup. For example,upon delivery of goods to the customer, the delivery agent may pick uprecyclable products (e.g., cans, bottles, consumer electronics, etc.),which the delivery agent will transport to a recycling facility.

If the customer is not qualified for the amount of the desired purchase,or if the delivery agent cannot complete the transaction for any reason,the customer is notified that the acquisition cannot be made asindicated at 122. It should be understood that this step can be providedat any time during the service period whenever it is established thatthe purchase price is outside of the pre-approved credit limit.Alternatively, the customer has the option of paying the retailer orseller directly, in which case the customer will only be billed for thepick-up and delivery services provided. For payment by proxy, thedelivery agent may utilize printer 49 to produce a pre-authorizationpurchasing document including billing information which allows thedelivery agent to pay at pick-up. If pre-purchased by the customer, thedelivery agent obtains a receipt showing proof of pre-payment by thecustomer. In one example, if a customer wishes a delivery agent topick-up a used good(s), such as from a yard sale, the delivery agentdebits the customer's credit card for the amount of the purchase price,and upon successfully receiving funds from the customer account,utilizes printer 49 to print out a check as legal tender for the goodsto be purchased.

In a preferred embodiment, printer 49 is also utilized to print out aninvoice for the amount of time the delivery agent was engaged, distancetraveled, purchased product and shopping services rendered, as indicatedat 123. The product is then delivered along with the invoice and anyother paperwork (e.g., receipts) to the customer or the selecteddelivery site as indicated at 124 and 125. Preferably, the invoice ispackaged and attached to the purchased product. In one embodiment, theinvoice includes a map having the route traveled during the shoppingrequest and delivery highlighted, with an accompanying time history. Ifno product is purchased and no delivery is made, an invoice for servicesrendered may be generated utilizing billing database 35 and informationprovided by the delivery agent, with the invoice being sent to thecustomer either electronically (e.g., via a designated email address) orthrough standard mail delivery methods. The services rendered may becharged directly to a designated customer credit card, or utilizing someother designated electronic payment method. In one embodiment of theinvention, each delivery agent has his or her own designated checkingaccount and/or credit card which is utilized to purchase the desiredgoods and the customer is billed for services and product purchased upondelivery of the product to the customer. In one preferred form of theinvention, near field communication (NFC), which is available on manysmartphones, could be utilized for payments between the agent or grabberand the store, or between the agent and the customer. In fact, nearfield communication could also be employed in connection withtransmitting and displaying product data as well.

Digital image capture device 46 is preferably utilized throughout thetransaction to show the location of the delivery agent as the agent isdriving to a desired purchase location, to show the product at thepurchase location, and to verify delivery of the product to the customerat the designated delivery location. In certain preferred embodiments, aseries of still images or video footage is stored on server 14 and canbe accessed for delivery agent evaluation, for liability and publicsafety purposes, for delivery agent history or dispute resolutionpurposes, for example. However, in another embodiment, historic customerinformation is utilized for rapid request orders. More specifically, acustomer can place an order through server 14, and server 14 will sendthe order to a deliver agent without the need for the customer to selecta delivery agent or communicate with the delivery agent. This featurecan be particularly useful when a customer wishes to obtain previouslyordered items such as prescription medications or groceries. In thiscase, the customer may be sent an alert through customer computer 30when the delivery agent is nearing the delivery location.

Based on the above, it should be understood that the present inventionprovides a system for remote acquisition and delivery of goods thatsupplies a customer with the detailed information needed to make aninformed purchase or acquisition remotely, and provides rapid same-daydelivery of goods without creating a large carbon footprint. In oneembodiment, system 10 calculates the reduction in carbon emissions fromutilizing the service, or from selecting a particular delivery agent. Itis contemplated that various retailers may work in conjunction with theservices provider of system 10 to promote the use of the environmentallyfriendly services of the provider through displays indicating that theretails work with the service provider. In one embodiment, for example,a registered customer may opt-in for liquidation alerts fromparticipating retailers. Additionally, participating retailers mayprovide in-house gear for staff or delivery agents, such as glasses withan embedded digital image capture processor 46 and a communicationsdevice 48 to enable staff or delivery agents entering the retailestablishments to communicate with a customer. Alternatively,participating retailers may provide point-of-view (POV) cameras withinthe retail establishment which are connected to the internet and can beaccessed by customers through system 10 so that the customers may viewproducts within a store prior to engaging a mobile delivery agent.

In one exemplary embodiment, a customer generates an e-shopping “wish”list for desired products utilizing system 10. The e-shopping list canbe created manually by a user typing in his or her request into a userinterface (e.g., keyboard) of computer 30. Alternatively, the e-shoppinglist can be created utilizing an image and data capture device, such asa camera incorporated into a cell phone for taking digital pictures orvideo, and transferring the data to server 14 for processing. In anotherscenario, the list could be generated by scanning bar codes on existingproducts which the customer wants replaced, or taking a visual image incombination with image recognition software, such as Google Goggles™. Acustomer may travel to a retail establishment and, either utilizingin-house gear provided by the retail establishment or utilizing personequipment, such as a cell phone incorporating a camera, bar code or QRcode scanning device, record which products the customer may beinterested in obtaining at a future time. For each product on the list,the customer sends information regarding the product such as pictures,bar codes, QR codes, video, instructions, recipes, specifications,ingredients, where manufactured, etc. to server 14. This e-shopping listis then made available to the customer upon logging into system 10.Preferably, a selected delivery agent may retrieve the customer'se-shopping list and check items off the list as they are obtainedutilizing communications device 48 or some other device communicatingwith server 14. In this way, a customer can view the updates to theire-shopping list in real-time through their computer's connection toserver 14. Additionally, data or images captured by digital imagecapture processor 46, or the customer's own equipment (e.g., a cellphone), may be utilized by server 14 to generate product reviews on theparticular product of interest or to check the internet for digitalcoupons associated with the product. The product reviews may be accessedby the customer through system 10, and the digital coupons may be viewedand accessed by the customer or the selected delivery agent and used inthe purchase of the desired product. Such coupons may be printed by theselected delivery agent utilizing printer 49, for example.

Although described with reference to preferred embodiments of theinvention, it should be readily understood that various changes and/ormodifications can be made to the invention without departing from thespirit thereof. When referring to real-time imaging and the like, itshould be understood that this term encompasses time requires totransmit the data between the customer and delivery agent or grabber,such as the time needed to transmit the information over the internet.Certainly, there are various forms for data transmission andcommunication disclosed in connection with the most preferredembodiments of the invention, with these data forms including, but notbeing limited to, still images (either alone or in combination withimage recognition software), streaming video (really just a series ofstill images), bar code data and QR data, all of which are genericallyencompassed by a digital image capturing device and an associatedprocessing device. Certainly bar code and QR data may be preferable dueto associated accuracies, the ability to readily conduct simultaneousprice comparisons for the product via internet searching or links, andenabling a host of information related to the product to be presented,e.g., nutritional or health information, product ratings and the like.Still, the image recognition or visual search technology certainly hasits advantages, such as enabling a customer to directly convey to anagent a desired product for purchase through just the use acamera-equipped smartphone that can scan a product observed on atelevision set or simply observed elsewhere, such as at someone else'shouse. Still, various forms of electronic data could be employed.Additionally, although discussed in the context of a customer who wishesto purchase a product, it should be understood that the system of theinvention may be utilized to schedule both pick-ups and delivery of anytype of goods, including free goods. In one embodiment, the system willbe utilized to arrange for disposal services for a customer, such astrash removal or hazardous materials removal. For example, a customermay wish for a delivery agent to purchase and deliver a new waterheater, but may also wish for the delivery agent to carry away the oldwater heater or arrange for a third-party pickup of the water heater. Inthis situation, the delivery agent may arrange for a local trash serviceto perform a one-time pick-up of the old water heater. In anotherexample, a customer may utilize a delivery agent in a different countryor city in order to shop remotely for a desired product, and thedelivery agent may arrange for a third party delivery service totransport the product to the customer. In another example, a deliveryagent might be engaged to view a real estate listing and providereal-time video remote viewing of the property. Further, the steps forthe methods of remote acquisition and delivery of goods described hereindo not necessarily need to be in the order in which they are presentedabove. In general, the invention is only intended to be limited by thescope of the following claims.

I/We claim:
 1. A method for remote acquisition and delivery of at leastone item by at least one agent of a service provider, said at least oneagent having a mobile agent system in communication with a remoteserver, with the mobile agent system including a digital image capturedevice and a communication device, said method comprising: receiving,through the at least one remote server, a first acquisition request froma customer for the at least one item; directing the at least one agentto pursue acquiring the at least one item for the customer; upon failingto locate the at least one item, said at least one agent performing thesteps of: scanning, using the digital image capture device, a bar or QRcode of a replacement product for the at least one item; electronicallytransmitting information on the replacement product, including an imageof the replacement product, to the customer; upon receiving approvalfrom the customer, acquiring the replacement product; and initiatingdelivery of the replacement product to the customer.
 2. The method ofclaim 1, wherein each mobile agent system further includes a globalpositioning system and the method further comprising: sending to thecustomer information on the at least one agent, including agent locationinformation based on signals from the global positioning system.
 3. Themethod of claim 1, further comprising, using data from the globalposition system, alerting the customer when the replacement product isclose to a delivery location.
 4. The method of claim 1, wherein theimage is obtained from a database on a remote server which links bar orQR codes with images.
 5. The method of claim 1, wherein the approvalfrom the customer is obtained by the at least one agent directly throughthe communication device.
 6. The method of claim 1, wherein the at leastone agent is part of a staff of an establishment which sells thereplacement product.
 7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:receiving a customer rejection of the replacement product; andelectronically transmitting, in real-time, an image on anotherreplacement product to the customer by the at least one agent using thedigital image capture device; and upon the at least one agent receivingapproval from the customer, acquiring the another replacement productfor the customer.
 8. The method of claim 7, wherein the image of theanother replacement product is obtained from a bar code or QR code forthe another replacement product.
 9. The method of claim 1, wherein thefirst acquisition request is established by the customer by scanning abar code or QR code of an existing product the customer wants replaced.10. The method of claim 1, wherein a cellular telephone is used for boththe digital image capture device and the communications device.
 11. Amethod for remote acquisition and delivery of one or more goods based onan acquisition request from a customer comprising: establishing acommunication pathway between the customer and an agent of a serviceprovider, with the agent utilizing a communication device of a mobileagent system, which also includes a digital image capture device, incommunicating with the customer through at least one remote server;electronically transmitting at least one image of a product to thecustomer using the digital image capture device of the agent, with theat least one image being obtained from a bar code or QR code for theproduct; receiving, through the communication path, either a purchaseapproval or disapproval from the customer for the product; and acquiringthe product by the agent for delivery if the customer approves of thepurchase.
 12. The method of claim 11, wherein each mobile agent systemfurther includes a global positioning system and the method furthercomprising: sending to the customer information on the agent, includingagent location information based on signals from the global positioningsystem.
 13. The method of claim 12, further comprising, using data fromthe global position system, alerting the customer when the product isclose to a delivery location.
 14. The method of claim 11, wherein the atleast one image is obtained from a database on the at least one remoteserver which links bar or QR codes with images.
 15. The method of claim11, wherein a cellular telephone is used for both the digital imagecapture device and the communications device.
 16. The method of claim11, wherein the agent is part of a staff of an establishment which sellsthe product.
 17. The method of claim 11, further comprising: when theagent receives the disapproval of purchase from the customer,electronically transmitting, in real-time, an image of a replacementproduct to the customer by the agent using the digital image capturedevice; and upon the agent receiving approval from the customer,acquiring the replacement product for the customer.
 18. The method ofclaim 17, wherein the image of the replacement product is obtained froma bar code or QR code for the replacement product.
 19. The method ofclaim 18, wherein the image of the replacement product is obtained froma database on the at least one remote server which links bar or QR codeswith images.
 20. The method of claim 11, wherein the acquisition requestis established by the customer by scanning a bar code or QR code of anexisting product the customer wants replaced.